Third Fire Plan In 10 Years Goes Before City Council
Written by 991KBU on March 11, 2019
Malibu’s city council is going to ask for a 100 thousand dollar state grant … to pay for fire planning.
This is actually the third such Malibu Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
A 576 page plan was produced in the year 2010 by an nongovernment nonprofit ForEvergreen Forestry … a group that’s never been heard before nor after in Malibu.
It was headed by a “Registered Professional Forester” from Eureka … named Tracy Katelman.
She won a similar government grant … Funding was provided by a National Fire Plan grant from the USDA Forest Service, through the California Fire Safe Council.
Katelman … apparently a professional freelance fire plan author … never disclosed how much she was paid to swoop into Malibu.
She held all the requisite held community meetings … et cetera.
The city of Malibu’s emergency planning coordinator at the time … Brad Davis … was listed as a consultant.
The plan had no specific details on fire warnings or evacuation procedures.
It had no recommendations about hardening powerlines.
Said nothing about the firebreaks above Malibu… should they be cleared out.
That 576 page plan was received … filed and then put on a shelf somewhere.
Three years later … a regional Community Wildfire Protection Plan was produced… this one by the L A County Fire Department.
This plan analyzed fire hazards … again…. not much happened after it was published.
Now … the city is applying for a 100 thousand dollar grant to write the third Malibu Community Wildfire Plan.
This one will focus on Malibu down to the neighborhood level.
This plan will see another intensive community engagement process top draw up a neighborhood-by-neighborhood assessment of wildfire protection and safety concerns, wildfire mitigation and response strategies, and evacuation plans for each unique neighborhood.
The time … though … city will also hire a Fire Safety Liaison and a consultant to get an effective program in place quickly.
